Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Denise Rosenau Column, 5/20/02



“No one will ever love you like your
mother, boys.”

My kids are so sick of hearing that sentence
that they begin rolling their eyes before I have even finished
it.

Someday, they will understand, providing that
I don’t screw up their upbringing too much. I learned myself
how much my mom loved me too, after my own many mistakes and
quests for independence.

Guess who was there to pick me up and brush
me off when I needed help? My mother.

Who was there to give me a good talking to
when I needed it? Again, my mom. And, trust me, she has a way
of letting me have it so that I will understand.

With Mother’s Day just past us, I can’t help
but reminisce about all of the ways that my own mom has been
there for me. She has been the greatest, and has given me a model
to shape myself after with my own children.

She sure wasn’t perfect, but hey, she was
pretty darn good!

I see the mistakes that I make as a parent
all too well, and the guilt I feel when I don’t do something
right has a way of eating away at me. I wonder sometimes if my
mom ever had those guilt feelings like I do.

As I look back and see my childhood, I don’t
see any reason for guilt at all. I hope my children will overlook
the mistakes that I see now so vividly when they look back.

One can only hope . . .

I have been fortunate to have a wonderful
mom, and also fortunate to have a wonderful step-mom and mother-in-law.
At this point in my life I have three mother figures. Some people
are never lucky enough to have even one.

That means that I have three women in my life
who will be there for me, unconditionally, and who will be able
to understand the things that only mothers understand.

Remember, everyone, that no one will ever
love you like your mom does. I truly believe this is true.

With that in mind, make sure you give her
the respect that she deserves – and not just on Mother’s Day,
but every day.

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